Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 642,6!9. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

. W. T. LUKENBILL.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed'my 13, 1899.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM THOMAS LUKENBILL, OF GOSPORT, INDIANA.

ACETYLE'N E-GAS G EN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,619, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filedMay 13, 1899. Serial No. 716,704. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS LU- KENBILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gosport, in the county of Owen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the generation of acetylene gas, the object of the invention being to provide an improved machine for generating and dispensing such gas, wherein means are provided for regulating the amount of gas generated by means of the rising and falling of the gasometer, keeping the carbid cool by Water circulated around it and discharging surplus gas when generated.

With this object in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described in detail and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in -Which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the generator and gas-holder complete, parts of the gas-holder being broken away to expose the interior construction. Fig. v2 is a vertical sectional view of the carbid can or receiver and the part of the gasometer to which it is attached. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the Valve-box for supplying water to the carbidcan and its attached parts.

' Like numerals of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 5 and 6 indicate the inner and outer shells of a gasometer of ordinary construction, the former being open at the bottom and movable vertically in a body of Water in the latter, as is usual in such structures. Upright bars 7 and 8, secured to the shell 6, extend above it and are connected by a cross-bar 9 at the top, in which slides a guide-rod 10, projecting upward from shell 5.

11 indicates a box with open top secured to the side of shell 6 and communicating therewith below the water-line by means of a short pipe 12, extending into the box and provided with a valve 13. The rod 14 of this valve is weighted to keep it down and the valve closed. A cord or chain 15, attached to the valve-rod, passes up over a pulley 16 at the top of bar 7 and down to and is connected with the shell 5. The construction of the valve is immaterial, so that it is closed when the rod is down and open when it is up. When the shell 5 is raised by reason of the receipt of gas inside, the Weight on the valverod will carry it down and close the valve, cutting off the supply of Water from the shell 6 of the'gasometer; but when the shell 5 is lowered, owing to the exhaustion of its gas, the cord will raise the valve-rod and open the valve, thus admitting water into the box.

The water in box 11 passes out through a pipe 17,and a branch pipe 18 into the carbidcan 19 and drips through a nozzle 20 upon carbid placed on the upper shelf 21 of the carbid-holder. This holder is composed of a plurality of shelves, three21, 22, and 23-being shown, each of a greater diameter-than the one above it. As is well known to those familiar with the art, when water comes in contact Wit-h large bodies of carbid there is a sudden and extensive generation of gas, after which the carbid becomes caked, or ashes, and the water irregularly permeates the mass, causing irregular action of the gasometer. To remedy this trouble, I supply the series of shelves and discharge the water on the carbid on the upper shelf only. As soon as the small quantity thereon becomes saturated the water overflows the edges of the shelf and drips upon the carbid contained on the next lower shelf, this operation being repeated with each shelf until all the carbid is exhausted. Thus the generation is extended and regular and difficulty attendant upon the discharge of water on a single quantity of carbid is obviated.

The pipe 17 is coiled twice or more around the gasometer and passes up through the bottom of shell 6 into shell 5, its open end being above the water-line. The gas generated in the carbid-can passes through branch pipe 18 and pipe 17 and is discharged into shell 5.

A pipe 25 with both ends open has its inner upper end in shell 5 above the waterline, passes down through the bottom of the gasometer, again up outside, and discharges into the open air. The inner upper end of the pipe runs into an open-ended pipe 26, depending from the top of shell 5, and when shell 5 receives enough gas to raise the pipe 26 above the level of the Water all surplus gas afterward entering the gasometer will be discharged through pipe 25 into the open air. Another pipe 27, with open upper end in shell 5 above the Water-line, passes downward through the bottom of the gasometer and leads to the service-pipes and the burners. -This pipe is supplied with a suitable valve 28.

The branch pipe 18 is connected by a short pipe 29 to the safety-pipe 25, the branch pipe 18 having a valve 30 and .the short connection-pipe 29 a valve 31. The pipe 17 is also provided with a valve at 32.

The carbid-can 19 has double \valls,as shown in Fig. 2, forming a surrounding water-space 33, which is connected with the water in the gasometer by a pipe 34, leading from the lower end of the water-space, and a pipe 35, leading from the upper end thereof. As is well known, the carbid in giving off gas generates heat also, and a vapor is formed which condenses in the pipes and thus causes an irregular and uneven light. By the arrangement just described when the water around the carbid-can becomes heated it passes out through pipe 35 and cool Water comes in through pipe 34, thus keeping up a circulation and continually supplying cool water in the water-space to prevent the overheating of the carbid-can.

I have shown the carbid-can with a removable bottom 36; but this is not essential, as the top might be made removable and the bottom fixed. The pipes 34 and 35, besides serving as a circulatory passage, also serve as supports for the carbid-can.

It will be remembered, as before stated, that the gas generated in the carbid-can passes up through branch pipe 18, the same pipe which supplies the water to the can, This is an economical and handy arrangement, the one pipe answering where two are usually required.

If desired, the pipe 17 may be provided inside of box 11 with a valve 37, the rod 38 of which may be connected by a link 39 with the valve-rod 14, so that valves 13 and 37 may be operated simultaneously.

When it is necessary to recharge the carbid-can, the can of course must be opened, and. in some machines the gas from the gasolneter is forced back through the can into the room. My construction absolutely preeasy to operate, and avoids many difliculties heretofore encountered in generating and handling acetylene gas.

While I have illustrated and described what I consider to be the best means now known to me for carrying out my invention, I do not Wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact forms and constructions shown, as many slight changes therein or variations therefrom might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, all of which would be clearly included within the limit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with the gasometer, and carbid-can, of an open-top box secured to the gasometer, and communicating therewith below the water-line, a valve in said communication, a weighted rod thereon, connection between the rod and the movable shellof the gasometer to raise the rod and open the valve when the shell falls, and a pipe leading from the box to the carbid-can, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with the Water-supply box, the carbid-can and the gasometer, of an open-ended pipe leading from the water-box through the bottom of the gasometer and up therein to above the water-line, and a single branch pipe leading from said pipe to the carbidcan, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with the water-supply box, the gasometer and the carbid-can, of a safety-pipe leading from the interior of the gasometer gas-space to the open air, a pipe leading from the water-box through the bottom and up into the gasspace of the gasometer, a single branch pipe leading from the last-named pipe into the carbid-can, a connecting-pipe between the branch pipe and the safety-pipe, and valves in the branch and connecting pipes, substantially as described.

WILLIAM THOMAS LUKENBILL.

Witnesses:

H. A. FoX, J AS. R. WASHBURN. 

